Task #1: An epistolary novel or collection of letters

[Catherine]

Just finished "The History of Emily Montague" by Frances Brooke. It is of historical interest, having been published in England in 1769, and thought to be the first Canadian novel as well as the first novel written in North America.

I can't say I would recommend it. There were long parts that were stultifying and/or farcical, but I still felt drawn in. I liked the character development and wanted to know what happened to them.

Lot of bigotry toward indigenous people. The protagonist seemed to learn from his interactions with them and I had high hopes for that continuing, but it didn't.

[Maggie]

I just finished 84, Charing Cross Road and it was excellent. It was a quick read, over too soon for me.

[Jester]

I read Illuminae by Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff, and it’s beautiful to look at, you can the effort and care put into every different page as document used to build the story.
Unfortunately though the plot was good, the twists good there was something that just fell flat for me while reading it. I may attempt to try a different book of the genre from peoples suggestions here, to find one I enjoy more

[Knobby]

I picked a different book for this challenge (chosen Code Name Verity) but tonight I started Future Home of the Living God and it's a series of letters the main character writes to her child, so it would work for this prompt!

[[deleted user]]

Would Where Did You Go, Bernadette? count for this?

[ekr]

I read (and loved) Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero. It's a YA book written as journal entries, which counts as epistolary according to the Book Riot post about this task.

[Michelle (RavenLily)]

Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

[Bobby]

Liz wrote: "Would Where Did You Go, Bernadette? count for this?"
Yes, it’s told through e-mails, letters, and diary entries.

[Jessica]

I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society for this. It had been on my Kindle since 2012 and I hadn't gotten around to reading it. Now I'm kicking myself that I let this book I loved so much sit under my nose, ignored for so long!

[Krista]

I'm reading this with husband: Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome

[Victoria]

Taking on Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos, translated by Helen Constantine... That should get tasks 1 and 10 crossed off the task list for me

[Sarah]

We Need To Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver.

[Shelley]

I went with The Devourers. It was distractingly graphic for my tastes, but it did have an interesting take on werewolves. Actually, it would work as an LGBTQ Historical romance by an AOC (the author is from India) if anyone is looking to double dip.

[Tania]

Margaret wrote: "I'll probably go with The Screwtape Letters.

A possibility for those who like YA: I'm substituting in a high school library this week and noticed [book:Dear Rachel Maddow|35795929..."

This was my choice as well, since I like C.S. Lewis and had The Screwtape Letters on my TBR, and it was very good!

[Lauren]

I just read Annihilation and decided to use it for this prompt because it's the narrator's field journal.

[[deleted user]]

I read The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani. It's the narrator's journal, and each entry is a letter addressed to her mother. It was a Walter Award honor book, and just got a Newbery honor as well.

[Lisa]

Andrea wrote: "I'm ready for a re-read of Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede . If you want to double dip, it can also be an alternate history novel...."

I hadn't even thought about it being alternate history, so I think I will double dip on this one. I've has Sorcery and Cecelia on my Kindle for years and not gotten around to it. No time like the present.

[Teresa]

I finished Sorcery and Cecilia last night. The back and forth of the letters doesn't flow well for me. That's a genre issue, not particular to this book. I really enjoyed the story after I decided to ignore the dates and other particulars at the beginning of each letter.

[Shannon]

I'm sure these have been mentioned before but I loved The Themis files by Sylvain Neuvel. They are all told in case files.

Sleeping Giants
Waking Gods
Only Human

[Kimmy]

I finished "Dear Fahrenheit 451" by Annie Spence and loved it so much.

[Angelbis]

Do the murderbot diaries fit for this? the most recent is Exit Strategy

[Fran]

Lady Susan has been on my list forever so I am reading it for this

[FRAN]

I just finished 84 Charing Cross Road to check this first task off the list. It was a lovely introduction to the Read Harder challenge, but I'm not sure this is a genre I'm going to delve into too deeply. I find the back and forth somehow prevents me from immersing completely - does anyone else find this to be the case with books of this nature?

[Brian]

Has anyone read Bats of the Republic: An Illuminated Novel? Think it qualifies?

[Tammy]

Another option for this category is Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: A Novel, by Paul Torday. It is a combination of diary/journal entries, letters, emails, articles, and reports, so far (I'm about 100 pages in). This book was a bestseller in the UK, and is also a great movie. It also won an award for comic fiction, so maybe it would count as a book of humor?

[Sharon]

Would No Time to Spare by Ursula LeGuin count? It’s a collection of blog posts. Thanks!

[Fred]

April wrote: "Don’t Suck, Don’t Die: Giving Up Vic Chesnutt
by: Kristin Hersh"

Great choice! I read a few years ago when it came out. As a fan of Hersh and Chesnutt, it destroyed me emotionally in the best way. It's also very brief. Not sure if it counts towards the neurodiverse task, but Hersh's first book, "Rat Girl" chronicles her own lifelong battles with depression.

[Sherri]

Just finished Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

[Megan]

I just finished Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson for this one.

[Sarah]

Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson is perfect for this!

[Megan]

Ruby wrote: "I just finished 84 Charing Cross Road to check this first task off the list. It was a lovely introduction to the Read Harder challenge, but I'm not sure this is a genre I'm going to delve into too ..."

Everyone seems madly in love with that book and to me it was just "Meh."

[Melissa]

Would How to be a Person in the World by Heather Havrilesky work for this? I don’t have a copy in front of me to check. It is letters from the advice column Ask Polly.

[Mya]

I don't think anyone has mentioned I Can't Tell You, by Hillary Frank. It's a modern variation of an epistolary novel & could be used for this challenge.

It's YA & a super quick read. I remember it as being sweet, but that was more than 10 years ago & I don't know if I would still think that if I re-read it - I suspect I would have less patience with the protagonist.

[Sarah]

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.

[Nupur]

I just read Daddy-Long-Legs for this challenge and enjoyed it very much!

[Chele]

Yours truly / curated by Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire

[Elle]

I'm a little late to the party but I'm starting this with The Color Purple, since I've wanted to read it for a long time but just haven't yet.

[Liz]

Finally read the color purple

[Tania]

I recommend When You Read This by Mary Adkins (finished 2/27), a story entirely told through blog posts, emails, and text messages.

[Lissa Mascio]

A short and hilarious take on this one - Ask Anna by Dean Koontz's dog Anna. A series of advice column letters between dogs.

[Lissa Mascio]

A short and hilarious take on this one - Ask Anna by Dean Koontz's dog Anna. A series of advice column letters between dogs.

[Whitney]

Brian wrote: "Has anyone read Bats of the Republic: An Illuminated Novel? Think it qualifies?"

I own it and was considering it for this challenge. It's told via transcripts, letters, a novel within a novel, maps et. al. I would think it definitely qualifies.

[Lavanya]

I am feeling like reading where’d you go Bernadette . Does that work?

[Allie]

Lavanya wrote: "I am feeling like reading where’d you go Bernadette . Does that work?"

Yes, it's written through a series of emails.

[Lissa Mascio]

what do we think about a novel written as diary entries? I just picked up Chuck Palahniuk's "Diary."

[Bonnie G.]

Lissa Mascio wrote: "what do we think about a novel written as diary entries? I just picked up Chuck Palahniuk's "Diary.""

That counts as epistolary

[Samantha]

Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters was a wonderful read

[Harper]

I am reading The Egyptologist and really liking it so far!

[Jackie]

Samantha wrote: "Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters was a wonderful read"

I loved this book. I read Waking Gods for this challenge because I hadn't read it yet, but I thought about rereading it for this challenge.

[Sara]

Andrea wrote: "I'm ready for a re-read of Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede . If you want to double dip, it can also be an alternate history novel...."

I am reading this and loving it so far. Keeps surprising me.